Ingredients:
- For the meatballs:
- 4 lbs. lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion minced
- 2 slices soft bread crusts removed and torn into small pieces
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 eggs
- 1⁄ 2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1⁄ 4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- For the topping (optional):
- 1 lb. dry spaghetti
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 1⁄2 cups ricotta (from a 15-ounce container)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions:
- Heat oven to 400° F. In a large bowl, combine the beef, onion, bread, garlic, eggs, parsley, oil, Italian seasoning, salt, 1 cup of the Parmesan, and 2 teaspoons of the pepper. Shape the mixture into 30 meatballs. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Place the meatballs close together on the rack. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Warm the marinara sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Remove the meatballs from the oven. If desired, combine the ricotta and remaining Parmesan and pepper. Spoon a few teaspoons of the ricotta mixture onto each meatball. Broil 3 to 5 minutes, until the ricotta just starts to brown. Divide the spaghetti, sauce, and meatballs among individual plates.
